Why Can’t Renewables Power Modern Economies? Physics

Image: Creative Commons under Unsplash To understand why wind and solar power, even with battery backup, will not be sufficient in the near future to supply the electric power needs of any modern industrial economy, much less an economy the size of the United States, one must first understand how the electric power system works. […]

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Using Science To Further Government Objectives

“Scientists Discover Strong Correlation Between Trusting Government And Eating Paint Chips” read a recent headline in The Babylon Bee. The article went on to report that “trust in government also ranked high among gasoline sniffers, toad lickers, and oven cleaner huffers.” Although the article is ostensibly satirical, trusting government does seem a mite flaky these

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Greens Refuse to Discuss Recycling of Renewables and Restoration of Mining Locations to Pristine Conditions

The reality is that all the mineral products and metals needed to make wind turbines, solar panels, and EV batteries are mined and processed in places like Baotou, Inner Mongolia, Bolivia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, mostly under Chinese control. Decommissioning and restoration of those mining landscapes back to their original pristine condition is not in

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Get Ready for Higher Electricity Bills to Fund Vehicle Charging

Charging at home is a favored feature of electric vehicles (EVs). But public charging stations are needed for long trips and to maximize EV market penetration. However, it’s unlikely that charging fees can cover the capital and operating costs of public chargers or make money for investors. Image: Creative Commons under Unsplash According to Kelly

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Industry-Intensive Vietnam to Increase Fossil Fuel Consumption

Vietnam of the 21st century is completely different from the war-ravaged country of the last century. An industrial hub, Vietnam now is a major exporter of finished goods and has cities that are thriving with economic activities. The major reason for the economic transformation is the country’s energy sector. However, this is now threatened by

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Australia’s Great Coral Reef Is Alive and Well. Why Hide That Fact?

(This file has been updated.) Peter Ridd, who examined current data about Australia’s Great Coral Reef, demolishes fears that the reef is sick or dying. He asks why the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) is obscuring that fact by failing to aggregate the data. Image: Creative Commons under Unsplash However, perhaps recognizing that Ridd (a

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FERC Considers Constraining Renewables

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC, rhymes with jerk) is taking comments on a proposed order that might actually constrain the destructive impact of renewables on America’s grid. FERC would order the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC, also rhymes with jerk) to do something about the growing adverse impact of renewables. NERC is a

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